Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-12-15

! Is not more tudn 40 per cent. of that con
sumed thirty years ago.
After few moments' silence Mr.. Blaine
ADDED that In his judgment the whisky
tax should be so modified as to permit all
who use pure alcohol in the arts or in
mechanical pursuits to have it free of
\ tax. In all such cases the tax could be
RENTED without danger of fraud Just as
nov the tax on spirits exported is re.
mltted.
"Besides your general and sweeping
| opposition to the presidents rscommen-
dation, have you any further specific
| objoetion?"
Yes" answered Mr. Blaine, ~ should
I seriously object to the repeal Of the duty
on wool. To repeal that would work
| great injustice TO many interests and
would seriously discourage what we
should earnestly discourage, namely, the
sheep culture among farmers throughout
the uuion. To break down wool grow
ing and be dependent on foreign coun
tries for the blanket under which we
| sleep and the coat that covers our backs
is not wise policy for the national gov
eminent 10 enforce"
| "DO you think if the presidents rec
commentators were adopted if would in
( crease our export trader"
/ Possibly in some few articles of pc
! cahar construction it might; but it would
| increase our import trade ten-fold as
/ much in the great staple fabrics, in wool
/ en- and cotton goods in iron, in sseel, in
all the thousand and one shapes in which
they are wrOughts How are we to
! export staple fabrics TO the markets OF
! Eurpe unless We make them cheaper
than they do III Europe. unless we get
cheaper labor than they have in Eu
roper
"Then you think that the question of
/ labor underlies the whole subjectl'
"Of course il does" replied Mr.. Blaine.
| at is in fact the entire question. When
ever We can force carpenters, masons,
] iron workers and mechanics in every de-
1 partmcnt TO work as cheaply and live as
poorly in the United States as similar
workmen in Europe, We can, OF course,
manufacture just as cheaply as they do
| in England or France. But | am totally
| opposed to a policy that would entail
I such results To attempt it is equivalent
( To a social and financial revolution, one
that would bring untold distress"
Yes, bu, might not the great farming
class be benefited by importing articles
from Europe instead of buying them at
/ higher prices at homer
"The moment" answered Mr. Blaine,
you begin TO import freely from Eu
| rope you drive our own workman from
mechanical aud manufacturing pursuits.
| In the same proportion they become
I till,rs of the soil, increasing steadily the
/ agricultural product and decreasing
/ steadily the large home demand which
/ Is constantly eHlargiug rs home manu-
/ features enlarge. That, of course, works
great injury to the farmer, Cutting the
markets with his products and teAding
constantly to lower prices"
Eyes, but the foreign demand for farm
| products would be increased III like ratio,
would it notyn
Even suppose il were," said Mr..
! Blaine, chow do you know the source
rom which il will be supphedY The
! tendency Ia Russia TO day and in the
Asiatic possessions of England is toward
q large increase of grain supply, the
grain being raised by the cheapest posi-
/ bile labor. Manufacturing countries viii
/ buy their bread,tuffs where they can get
them cheapest, and tbs eularging of the
home market for the American farmer
being checked. he would search in vain
for one of the same value. His foreign
sales are already checked by the great
comp, titiOn abroad. There never was a
tim when the Increase of q large home
market was SO valuable to hun. The best
proof is that the farmers are prosperous
IN proportion to the nearness of manu-
featuring ceuteEs, and a protective tariff
tends TO spread manufactures. Ia ONO
and Indiana, for exam p. though not
classed as manufacturing states, the an
nual value of fabrics is larger than the
annual agricultural products
But those holding the presidents
views,' remarked the reporter, "are al
wa! quoting the great pros perity of the
country under the tariff of 1876
Chat tariff did not involve the one
distinctive Point recommended by the
president, namely, the retaining of di-
rect internal taxes in order TO abolish in
direct taxes levied on foreign fabrics.
But the country had peculiar advantages
under itby the Crimeau war, involving
England, France and Russia, and largely
I'M pairing their trade All these moi
cents, or accidents, If you choose, were
immensely stimulating to trade in tine
/ United States, regardless Of the nature
/ of our tariff Brit mark the end of this
European experience with the tariff of
/ 1876, which, for time, gave an il
lusroy and deceptive show of pros
/ perity. Irs enactment WIS Immediately
/ followed by the Mexican war; then, il
1 ls4S, 10y the great commissions in Europoi
/ then, in lSt9, and succeeding years, by
I the enormous gold yield in California.
/ Thc powers made peace in 1896, aud at
/ the same tune the output of gold ia Cali
forn,a tel of. Immediately the financial
I panic of 1857 came upon the country
with disastrous force. Though we had in
/ these years mined vast amoust of gold
in California, every bank IN New York
was forced 10 suspend payment -Four
/ hundred millions of gold had been car
/ ried out ot the country IN eight years TO
4 pay for foreign goods that should have
/ been manufactured at home, and we had
1 years of depression ana distress as an
atoutment for our toQy.
1T is remarkable that President Polk
recommended the tariff of 1916 on pre-
cisely the same ground that President
1 Cleveland recommends similar enact
I - Is . a..